The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-01-26
The Interstate Commerce Bill.

The interstate commerce bill, as agreed
upon by both houses of congress- applies the
provisions of the act to any common carrier
engaged in the transportation of passengers
wholly OF partly by railroad, under a com
mon control, management or arrangement
through more than one state or territory, or
from any place in the United States to an
adjacentforegn country. All charges made
for any service rendered in the tranSporta-
ton of passengers or property shall be reas-
enable, and every unreasonable charge for
such service is prohibited and declared I'M
lawful. 1t is unlawful for any common car
rier subject to the provisions of the act to
charge, directly or indirectly, from any per-
son or persons greater or less compensa-
ton for any service rendered in the trans
portation of passengers or property than it
charges from any other person or persons
for doing like service. 1t is unlawful for
any common carrier, to make or give any
undue advantage to any particular person
or any particular description of traffic.
Every common carrier shall afford all reas-
enable facilities for the interchange of traf-
fic between their respectives lines and for
receiving, forwarding and delivering of pas
sengers and property to and from their sew
eral lines and those connecting Herewith,
and shall not discriminate in their rates and
charges between such connecting lines. 1t
shall be unlawful for any common carrier
to charge any greater compensation in the
aggregate of the transportation of paSsen-
gers OF freight LOT Il shorter IMAM LOT Il fOnger
distance over the same line in the same di-
rection. 1t shall be unlawful to enter into
any contract, agreement or combination for
the pooling of freights of different and COM
peting railroads, or to divide the aggregate
or net proceeds of the earnings of such rail-
roads, and in any case of agreement for the
pooling of freights, each day of its contnu-
ance shall be deemed a separate offence.
Any carrier violating the provisions of the
act shall be liable to the person or persons
injured thereby for the full amount of the
damage sustained in consequence of such
violation, together with a reasonable coun-
sci or attorneys fee. Persons claiming to
have been damaged may proceed for the
recovery of their damages either in the
courts of the United States or before the
commission, but not before both tribunals.
1t is penal offence to violate any OF the
provisions of the act and puts the maximum
of the fine which may be imposed at the
sum of 5000. A commission to consist of
five persons is provided for whose term of
Office shall be for six years, except forsthe
first appointments, which are to be for two,
three, four, five and six years. The MEM
bers of this commission are to be appointed
by the President, by and with the advice of
the senate. Their principal Office shall be
in Washington, but they may hold sessions
at other places than Washington, and sin
gle member of the commission may take
testimony anywhere as may be directed by
the commission. These commissioners are
to have salaries of 81 800 each. The pro.
visions of the act relating to the appoint
ment and organization of the commission
takes effect Immediately and the remaining
provisions take effect sixty days after its
PASSAGE.